


I hear the sound (echoes beneath)

by MYuzuki



Series: No matter what’s in front of me (I’ll keep fighting til I’ve won) [39]
Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Gen, How Do I Tag, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MYuzuki/pseuds/MYuzuki
Summary: As luck would have it, Noctis finds Nyx before Nyx can find Ardyn.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ardyn Izunia & Nyx Ulric, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Nyx Ulric
Series: No matter what’s in front of me (I’ll keep fighting til I’ve won) [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897525
Comments: 8
Kudos: 134





	I hear the sound (echoes beneath)

**Author's Note:**

> In which Noct and Nyx finally get to talk to each other! It's not as thorough a conversation as they should probably have (because they get interrupted, lol) but hey, at least it's something! ;D

**I hear the sound (echoes beneath)**

* * *

As luck would have it, Noctis finds Nyx before Nyx can find Ardyn.

"Can I…talk you for a minute?" the prince asks, expression carefully neutral but with a hint of uncertainty in his gaze as looks at Nyx.

Nyx hesitates, conflicted. On the one hand, Nyx really does need to track down Ardyn and convince the bastard to sit in on that meeting, because something needs to be done about the fact that the havens might be losing their magic and Ardyn was alive back when they were first created.

On the other hand, Nyx doesn't really want to brush off the Crown Prince, especially since he _did_ promise Cor that he'd talk to Noctis.

He just didn't think he'd need to talk to Noctis _right now_ , when he's in the middle of something that's more than a little time-sensitive.

Still, Nyx can see the faint traces of nervousness that are lingering at the edges of the prince's expression even though he's trying to keep up a smooth poker face, and he can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the young man in front of him.

Noctis has been through a lot of ups and downs lately, after all; the least Nyx can do if offer up a bit of his time.

"Alright, Your Highness," he says, giving a tired but encouraging smile as he tucks his hands into his pockets. "What did you want to talk about?"

Noctis looks briefly startled, like he'd been expecting Nyx to blow him off or make up some excuse for why they couldn't speak now, then a look of relief washes over his face to be replaced by yet another carefully crafted look of neutrality, albeit a slightly softer one than before. "I wanted to thank you," he says, soft and serious.

Nyx blinks, because of everything he'd expected the prince to say, that wasn't on the list. He'd been expecting something along the lines of 'are we actually related?' or perhaps 'is it true you beat Glauca in one-on-one combat?' (a question he gets often from new Glaive recruits, who stare at him with wide eyes). "Thank me for what?" he asks, bemused.

Noctis gives him a look like he's revising his estimation of Nyx's intelligence. "For saving my life," he says, as if it should be obvious.

"Oh," Nyx says as realization strikes. "That." Then he shakes his head. "You don't need to thank me for that, Your Highness. It was the right thing to do."

"You say that like it's simple," Noctis returns, "but generations upon generations of our ancestors apparently failed to solve the problem. It took _you_. So thanks."

"Generations of your ancestors failed to solve the problem because they probably didn't consider it _their_ problem," Nyx remarks dryly. "Besides, it's not like I did anything particularly impressive," he adds, mouth quirking up in a crooked smile. "All I did was yell a bit at the Kings of Old. No big deal."

"No big deal," Noctis echoes, tone completely flat as he fixes Nyx in a look that's vaguely incredulous.

Nyx huffs out a low laugh and reaches out to gently squeeze the prince's shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring way. "Maybe a little bit of a big deal," he acknowledges wryly, "since I think I gave your father an ulcer the last time I did it. But it's all been settled now in any case, so you don't need to worry about any of that prophecy garbage anymore, okay? Just focus on…I don't know, normal stuff."

Noctis gives a faint smirk, a spark of wicked amusement glinting in his eyes. "I'm not entirely sure what 'normal stuff' entails," he replies, "when you're the Crown Prince of a kingdom that's in the middle of a war with an evil empire. But sure."

Nyx rolls his eyes, but doesn't have a chance to offer up any sort of retort because suddenly there's a sizzle of magic in the air, fire and shadow, and Ardyn Izunia himself comes waltzing right into the middle of their conversation.

"Well, well, well," the former Chancellor says, swanning right up to them as the lingering sparks leftover from his warp flicker and vanish. "You two are looking quite cozy, huddled together. Discussing anything interesting?"

Noctis stiffens, just ever so slightly, all traces of warmth fleeing his face as Ardyn approaches, replaced by a wary look of uncertainty. "Nothing that would interest you," he says, and his tone is two-thirds frosty and one-third nervous.

Ardyn gives a sly smile with a sharp edge. "Oh, but how can you say that with such certainty, little princeling? I find a great many things interesting. Like Commander Ulric, for example," he says, gesturing to Nyx with a motion that's more of a dramatic flourish than anything. "He's _quite_ interesting, wouldn't you agree? An ordinary soldier at first glance, and yet he wields the same magic that you and I do, magic that has only ever belonged to the Lucis Caelum bloodline. Fascinating, don't you think?"

Nyx bristles, but before he can think of a suitable response, Noctis is speaking again.

"Not very fascinating at all," the prince replies, sounding almost bored despite the sharp watchfulness in his gaze. "Considering that fact that he's technically a member of that bloodline, too."

"Oh?" Ardyn arches an eyebrow as he looks over at Nyx with a look that reminds him of a voretooth sizing up potential prey. "Is that so."

Nyx forces himself to relax, to let the tension clinging to his shoulders and spine fall away as he takes a careful breath to calm the maelstrom of emotions that are tangling together in his gut. "You can check out some of the royal press releases from last month if you want to know more," he offers, forcing his voice to come out casual as he neither confirms nor denies the carefully crafted lie that is the official explanation for why he has Lucian magic at his disposal beyond what his Kingsglaive oaths should give him. "It was quite the scandal when the King announced it."

Ardyn just gives him a narrow searching look, a gleam of calculation in his eyes as he seems to consider everything that Nyx and Noctis have said. "An interesting story," he says at last, but his tone is just ambiguous enough to make it so that Nyx isn't sure if the bastard _believes_ that story or not.

(He really hopes that Ardyn _does_ believe it, because otherwise the asshole is going to keep poking and prying at Nyx in an attempt to puzzle out what makes him tick, and given everything else that's going on that isn't really something that Nyx feels like dealing with at the moment.)

"Moving away from the incredibly boring subject of me," Nyx says to Ardyn now, steering the conversation in another direction with what is probably an appalling lack of subtlety, "I was actually hoping to talk to _you_ about something."

"Truly?" Ardyn says, affecting a look of pleased surprise that actually seems to contain a bit of genuine shock in it, an emotion that's quickly buried beneath his usual smug expression. "I'm flattered, to be sure."

Nyx rolls his eyes (and is rather amused to see Noctis rolling his as well at the exact same time) and resists the urge to pitch Ardyn off the closest balcony. "Sure you are," he says dryly, then sobers. "There's going to be an emergency council meeting in a couple hours," he explains. "We'd appreciate it if you came."

This time the surprise on Ardyn's face comes and stays, lingering in the edges of his frown. "A meeting about what, precisely?" he asks, tone somewhere between suspicious and curious.

Nyx slants a look at Noctis,wondering if he should say anything in the present company because he's damn sure that the king hasn't told his son anything about the latest crisis.

In the end, however, he figures that Noctis has a right to know what's happening; after all, the prince isn't a child to be sheltered, not when he's not only a young man of legal adulthood but also a young man who's going to end up ruling the kingdom himself one day. Better that he knows what's happening in the world, that he's actually involved with things beyond supervising minor trade disputes between squabbling nobles.

"There's something going on with the havens," he says now, addressing both of the royals in front of him. "Something that's making it so that they're no longer fully safe from daemons."

"That's impossible," Noctis says immediately, eyes widening faintly as his face pales slightly.

"I saw it happen myself," Nyx offers up apologetically. "The magic was going in and out, like a fading radio signal."

"And the daemons breached the haven?" Ardyn asks, tone edged with some emotion that Nyx can't pinpoint, some sort of strange amalgamation of curiosity and worry.

"They did," he confirms. "Some flan and Ahrimans at first, but eventually a Cerberus showed up. The king is planning to ask the Oracle if she knows what could be causing it," he adds, "but I figured since you've been around since the first havens were created you might have some ideas of your own."

Before Ardyn can respond, Noctis makes a sound like someone kicked him in the shin. "You fought a _Cerberus_?" he asks, looking torn between horror and awe. "And you're not even injured?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Nyx counters with a wry smile. "It thrashed me pretty good before I finished it off. Your old man put me on light duty for the next week because of it," he adds with an irritated grimace. "Wants me to take it easy, I guess."

Ardyn gives a faint snort. "I barely even know you and I know that such a request is ludicrous at best," he says, expression somewhere between mocking and amused before it settles into something more serious and introspective. "The havens, you said? Hmm…"

"You got any ideas on what might be causing the magic to fail?" Nyx asks, hopeful despite his general misgivings about Ardyn in general.

(Misgivings that seem to be shared by Noctis, if the continued tension in his posture is any indication. Not surprising, really, given the fact that Noctis was destined to both kill and be killed by Ardyn before Nyx had thrown the proverbial monkey wrench into that particular destiny.)

Ardyn gives another considering hum, before offering up a fluid shrug. "Perhaps, perhaps not," he replies. "I shall have to give it some thought."

"But you'll come to the meeting," Nyx presses.

"Perhaps," Ardyn returns with a sly smile, "perhaps not."

Nyx is about to threaten the scheming bastard with bodily harm if he doesn't attend when Noctis suddenly clears his throat.

"I'm coming, too," the prince says, quiet but resolute.

Nyx blinks, then arches an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

Noctis nods. "Yes," he replies firmly. "If there really is something happening to the havens, then people are going to be in danger until the problem is solved. And it's my responsibility as prince to try and find a way to fix it, to make sure people are safe."

Ardyn's face does something complicated that Nyx can't decipher, before smoothing out into the politely disinterested expression that he seems to wear whenever he's trying to mask some sort of strong emotion.

It's a very Lucis Caelum sort of response to emotional turmoil, and Nyx barely restrains a heavy sigh before he answers. "Alright, well, then I'll see _both_ of you at the meeting later," he says after a moment of incredibly tense silence, after trying to figure out why Noctis's words would elicit such a strange response from Ardyn before giving up because he could spend the next ten years of his life trying to map out the way Ardyn's mind works and still end up hopelessly lost.

Noctis, for his part, looks faintly relieved and nods, then wanders off down the hallway without another word, cell phone in hand as he either texts someone or starts playing one of those digital games or something of the sort.

Ardyn, meanwhile, stares after the departed prince with a peculiar look on his face, fury and grief and a melancholy sort of wistfulness all tangled up together.

There's a barrage of questions on the tip of Nyx's tongue, just waiting to be asked, but he carefully swallows them down because he's got bigger fish to fry at the moment. So he just says, "don't be late for the meeting," and departs, leaving Ardyn alone with his thoughts.


End file.
